Sarah Conly – författare

Sarah Conly argues that we do not have the right to have more than one child. If recent increases in global population continue, we will reduce the welfare of future generations to unacceptable levels. We do not have a right to impose on others in this way. While voluntary efforts to restrain population growth are preferable and may be enough, government regulations against having more than one child can be justified if they are necessary. Of course, government regulations have to be consistent with rights that we do hold, but Conly argues that since we do not have a right to have more than one child, government regulations are one of the methods we might use to reduce the fertility rate until we reach a sustainable population.

When does liberty matter? It is often thought that personal liberty is always valuable and that it has a unique intrinsic value. In The Limits of Liberty, philosopher Sarah Conly argues that it is much less valuable than traditionally believed. Conly posits that liberty only has value for its consequences-liberties that bring good things have value, but liberties that bring bad consequences have no value. This means that in many cases where liberty has been valued, we are mistaken. Restrictions on certain liberties are more acceptable than commonly thought.The Limits of Liberty lays the groundwork for this argument, then delves into controversial policy revisions across various areas. In medical ethics, Conly proposes that patient autonomy should be respected less than it currently is, highlighting instances of people being vaccinated against their will. In environmental ethics, the problem of incremental harms is discussed- particularly when each person contributes a small amount to an overall harm and thus feels no responsibility. The argument is made that each person is morally responsible for environmentally harmful actions, and that there is a duty, enforceable by the government if necessary, to eat less meat and have fewer children.When it comes to the ethics of personal expression, Conly argues for more restrictions on speech. Specifically, that there should be greater legal liability for internet speech than currently exists. In the realm of religion, a case can be made against religious accommodation, the policy of making exceptions to laws for people whose religion is contrary to the law. Ultimately, The Limits of Liberty offers novel policy recommendations in medical ethics, environmental ethics, freedom of speech policy, and freedom of religion, challenging traditional views on the value of personal liberty.

Since Mill's seminal work On Liberty, philosophers and political theorists have accepted that we should respect the decisions of individual agents when those decisions affect no one other than themselves. Indeed, to respect autonomy is often understood to be the chief way to bear witness to the intrinsic value of persons. In this book, Sarah Conly rejects the idea of autonomy as inviolable. Drawing on sources from behavioural economics and social psychology, she argues that we are so often irrational in making our decisions that our autonomous choices often undercut the achievement of our own goals. Thus in many cases it would advance our goals more effectively if government were to prevent us from acting in accordance with our decisions. Her argument challenges widely held views of moral agency, democratic values and the public/private distinction, and will interest readers in ethics, political philosophy, political theory and philosophy of law.